Staple applying mechanism



Nov. 29, 1955 H. w. MARANO STAPLE APPLYING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 23,1953 INVENTOR #ieee-pr M AfA/:MNO [j ('AMBY R ma AT'TORNEY 7 f4 .92/960/2 M34, ya

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United States Patent O STAPLE APPLYIN G MECHANISM Herbert W. Marano,Summit, N. J., assigner to Wilson- Jones Company, Chicago, Ill., acorporation of Massachusetts Application September 23, 1953, Serial No.381,814

7 Claims. (Cl. 1-3) The present invention relates to improved fastenerapplying devices and it relates more particularly to an improved staplerof the miniature type.

The stapler of the type most widely employed generally includes a basehaving a staple-clinching depression at the front end thereof, amagazine for holding a cartridge clip of preformed staples, means forfeeding the staples to a driving zone immediately above the clinchingdepression, a staple driving blade and a handle for actuating the bladeto drive the leading staple in the clip downwardly through the workpiece and into the underlying depression to eect the clinching of thestaple. These Staplers are available in many sizes from large models forindustrial uses, through the desk size for oiice use, to the miniaturetype for general domestic and otce use. It is this latter miniature typeof stapler having widespread applications with which the presentinvention is principally concerned. The conventional miniature typestapler is at its best a imsy device, diiicult to operate and load,inefficient and subject to frequent failures, inflexible andmechanically short-lived.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide animproved fastener applying device of the miniature stapler type.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedminiature type stapler having a simple and convenient loading mechanism.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide animproved miniature type stapler characterized by its ruggedness andefliciency in operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedminiature type stapler which is inexpensive and long-lived and which ischaracterized by its versatility, compactness and ease of operation.

The above and further objects of the present invention will becomeapparent from a reading of the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferredembodiment of the present invention, wherein Figure l is a perspectiveview of the improved miniature stapler shown in operating condition;

Figure 2 is a perspective View showing the stapler in open loadingcondition;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View through the mechanismof Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the line 4-4 of Figure3.

The present invention broadly contemplates the pro vision of a stapleapplying device comprising a staple magazine having a throat formed atits forward end and including means for advancing a staple into registrywith said throat, an actuating handle hinged to said magazine andmovable between open and closed positions relative thereto, latch meansmovable between lock and unlock positions for locking said magazine andhandle into closed positions, and a strip of resilient material engagedby said handle at a point between the ends of said strip, said striphaving a front leg and a rear A lce leg directed toward said magazine,said front leg defining a staple driving blade movable into registrywith said throat and said rear leg engaging said latch and urging ittoward its lock position.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, thehandle and the staple magazine are hinged at their rear to a base memberwhose forward end is tapered and pointed to serve as a staple removerand whose upper face has a clinching depression formed thereinconfronting the lower or discharge end of the staple throat. Springmeans are provided to resiliently maintain the base, handle and magazineunit in separated position. The staple magazine is channel-shaped withits open face directed upwardly and is provided with a wall at its frontend having vertically projecting laterally spacedlugs, forwardlyextended at their upper edges. Immediately anterior to the front wall isa vertical member whose side edges are spaced from the side walls of themagazine to permit the passage of the staples and whose front facetogether with the confronting rear face of the front wall define thestaple driving throat. A downwardly-directed, channel-shaped memberforms the staple pusher which rides in the magazine channel and is urgedforward by a helical compression spring. The latching member which alsoserves as a staple confining member, consists of a longitudinal striphaving a raised forwardly directed arm projecting from its front end,which arm terminates in laterally projecting ears and is adapted toregister with the space between the lugs on the magazine front wall toeect the locking action. The latch member is slidably mounted in thehandle so as to be movable between open and closed positions. A curvedresilient strip is secured to the actuating handle and is sprung andpositioned so that its front end bears against the inner face of themagazine front wall and defines a driving blade and its rear end engagesan upwardly projecting ear on the latch member to urge it to its rearlock position, and bears downwardly upon the latch member to urge thehandle upwardly relative thereto. A retractor member, including a pairof laterally spaced arms terminating in hooks which engage correspondinglaterally projecting ears on the pusher member, is hinged between a pairof upwardly directed ears in the after upper portion of the latchmember, and is spring motivated so as to urge the opening of themagazine and handle and retract the pusher, thereby permitting theloading of the magazine.

Reference is now made to the drawings which illustrate a preferredembodiment of the present invention wherein the numeral 10 generallydesignates an actuating handle, 12 a staple magazine, 14 a stapleconfining member and latch, and 16 a base. The actuating handle 10,shaped for convenient handling and use and attractive appearance,includes a longitudinally and vertically extending strip-like wall 18joining the corresponding edges of a pair of laterally spaced verticalwalls 19, 19, the lower rear corners of which terminate in dependingears 22 having opposite openings formed therein. The base member 16consists of a llat strip 24 having vertically projecting laterallyspaced walls 26 along its rear side edges, said walls having holesformed therein which engage a pin 28 mounted in the Openings formed inthe handle ears 22 to provide a hinged connection between the handle 10and the base 16. The forward end of the base 16 is pointed and tapered,as at 17, to permit its use as a staple remover and has formed in itsupper face a clinching depression 30.

The staple magazine 12 consists of a channel member having a bottom wall32, side walls 34, an open top, and a front wall 36 of greater heightthan the side walls 34. Projecting upwardly from the top of the channelfront wall 36 are a pair of laterally spaced forwardly inclined lugs 38.A pair of opposing holes are formed 'in' the rear 'portion of thechannel side Walls 34, which holes engage the pin 2S which permits theswinging of the magazine 12 independent of the handle 10 and the baseV16. Disposed on the front inner face of the channel base 32 are a pairof longitudinally spaced vertical ears 40 and 42 respectively, the ear4tl'being spaced from the channel front wall 36 a distance slightlygreater than the thickness of the staple to define with the front wall36 a staple driving throat 44 having a discharge opening 46'formed atits base in the channel bottom wall 32 and for the width of the channel.A third vertical ear 4S projects upwardly from the rear end of thechannel bottom wall 32 and longitudinally opposing holes are formed inthe ears 42 and 43 which support ya feed guide rod Sil above andparallel to the channel bottom wall'32.

A pusher member 52 is likewise roughly channel shaped having atransverse top wall and depending laterally spaced side walls which abutand ride along the inner faces of the magazine channel side walls 34. Anintermediate and a rear downwardly directed transverse ear '54 yand 56respectively are positioned on the pusher top wall and have holes formedtherein which slidably engage the rod Si) to thereby movably retain thepusher 52. A helical compressing spring 58 is mounted on the rod 50 andis entrapped between the confronting faces of the pusher ear 56 andchannel magazine ear 48 to urge the pusher forward. Also formed on thetop wall of the pusher 52 are a pair of opposite outwardlyprojecting'lugs 60 whose purpose will be hereinafter set forth.

A leaf spring 64 has a front end 65 affixed to the base 16 and isupwardly rearwardly inclined having its other end 67 bearing against themagazine bottomfwall 32 resiliently to support the staple magazine andthe discharge opening 46 thereof in a position above the stapleclinching depression 30.

YThe latch and staple confining member 14 is a strip extending along thebase of the handle and when in normally locked position is disposeddirectly above the staple magazine 12. Positioned on the latch member 14adjacent its front end is an integral upright 66 having an integralforwardly directed arm 68 terminating in laterally extending lugs 75l.When the latch is in locked position, the arm 68 registers with thespace between rthe lugs 38, the front faces of which engage the upperrear edges of the lugs 7i) thereby to maintain the handle 10 andmagazine 12 in locked position. Depending from the rear of the latchmember 14 is a pair of ears 70 having elongated openings 72 formedtherein which engage the pin 2S and permit the longitudinal sliding ofthe latch member 14 and its rotation about the pin 2S.

A substantially U-shaped strip 74, formed of spring or resilientmaterial, has its cross arm aixed to the under face of the handle wall1S by means of a rivet 76. The front depending leg '78 of the strip 74defines a staple driving blade whose lower edge confronts the upperopening of the staple throat 44 and is adapted to travel therethroughupon depression of the actuating handle'lt) to effect the staple drivingstroke. An elongated slot 8) is formed in the strip leg 78, the latcharm 68 passing through the slot S0, said slot being of a length at leastequal to the stroke of the staple driving blade. The rear leg 82 of thespring strip 74 is rearwardly and downwardly inclined and bears againstthe top face' of' the latch member 14 and is engaged at the rear faceyof its lower end by a forwardly inclined ear 34 projecting upwardly fromthe latch member 14. vThe spring leg 82 serves the dual purpose ofurging the latch memberto its lock position and urging the actuatinghandle 10 and the staple driving blade to their retracted positions.'The rear of the latch member 14 terminates in a depending linger piece86 to permit the manipulation of the latch member 14.

A pair of laterally spaced opposing upright ears 88 extend upwardly fromin the latch member 14 rear of the ear 84 and support between them atransverse hinge pin 9i). A pusher retractor member is provided andincludes a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting arms 92 withtheir inner faces next to the side walls 34 of the magazine 12 andjoined at their rear by a transverse vertical cross piece 94 andterminating at their front ends in depending rearwardly facing hookportions 96. The hook portions 96 engage `the laterally projecting lugs60 in the staple pusher 52. A pair of opposing holes are formed in thearms 92 adjacent the cross piece 94, which holes engage the pin toprovide a hinged connection between the latch member 14 and theretractor member. A torsion spring 98 is mounted on the pin 90 and hasone arm bearing against the lower edge of the cross piece 94 and itsother arm bearing against the upper surface of the latch member 14 tourge the hook ends of the retractor arms 92 downwardly.

Theoperation of the improved staple driving device is apparent from theabove description. By bearing upon the ear S6, the latch member 14 isslid forward to unlock position against the pressure of the spring leg82 wherein the lugs 70 are carried out of engagement with the ears 33.The retractor arms 92 are rotated counter-clockwise by the torsionspring 98 and concurrently separates the staple magazine 12 and theactuating handle 10 which carries the latch member 14, and draws thepusher member 52 to its fully retracted Iposition thereby compressingthe helical feed spring 58 as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.The staple magazine is thus open and exposed and may be loaded with acartridge of staples. Thereafter,the staple magazine 12 and actuatinghandle 10 are returned to their closed position as shown in Figures l, 3and 4 rof the drawings. The pusher side lugs 60 are released by theretractor member permitting the pusher 52 to advance the staples to thestaple throat 44, the retractor arms 92 being held in their upperposition by resting upon the pusher side lugs 60. The stapling operationis effected by placing the work piece between the staple throatdischarge opening 46 and the clinching depressions 30 and pressing downupon the actuating handle 10. .Initially the magazine is urgeddownwardly against the opposing of spring 64 to engage the work piecebetween the confronting faces of the staple magazine 12 and the base 16.Thereafter, the actuating handle 10 and driving blade 78 are carrieddownwardly against the upward pressure of the leaf spring leg 82, thedriving blade bearing against the lead staple pushing it through thethroat 44 into the work piece and against the clinching depression 3d)to thereby close the staple. Upon completion of the work stroke, theactuating handle 10 is released and the various parts are returned totheir original positions as shown in Figures l, 3 and 4 of the drawings,and another staple is advanced by the pusher member 52 into the drivingthroat 44.

While there` has been described and illustrated apreferred embodiment ofthe present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations andomissions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

l. A staple applying device comprising a staple magazine having a throatformed at its forward end and including means for advancing a stapleinto registry with said throat, an actuating handle hinged to said.magazine and movable between open` and closed positions relativethereto, latch means carried by said handle and movable relative to saidhandle between lock and unlock positions Land releasahly engaging aportion of said magazine to lock said magazine and handle Ainto closedposition, and a strip of resilient material engaged by said handle at apoint between the ends of said strip, said strip having a front leg anda rear leg directed toward said magazine, said front leg defining astaple driving blade movable into registry with said throat and saidrear leg engaging said latch and urging it toward its lock position.

2. A staple applying device in accordance with claim 1, including a basemember hinged at its rear to the rear of said magazine, said throathaving a lower discharge opening and said base member having a clinchingdepression formed in its upper face confronting said discharge opening.

3. A staple applying device in accordance with claim l, wherein saidlatch means is provided with a finger portion disposed rearwardly ofsaid magazine.

4. A staple applying device in accordance with claim l, wherein saidlatch means includes a slideable strip extending substantially thelength of said magazine and is hinged to said actuating handle, and saidrear leg bears against said slideable strip to urge said latch striprearwardly into lock position and said handle upwardly to retractedposition relative to said latch strip.

5. A staple applying device in accordance with claim 4, wherein saidmagazine is provided with a front wall having a pair of laterally spacedupwardly and forwardly directed lugs and said latch strip is providedwith an elevated forwardly directed arm terminating in laterallyprojecting ears, said latch strip being slideable between positionswherein said ears are alternatively disposed forward of said lugs andbelow said lugs, said positions defining said lock and unlock positions.

6. A staple applying device in accordance with claim 4, including aretractor arm hinged at one end thereof to said latch strip, a staplepusher slideably disposed in said magazine and spring means in saidmagazine urging said pusher toward a forward position, the free end ofsaid retractor arm engaging said pusher whereby to retract said pusheralong said magazine when said actuating handle is moved to magazine openposition.

7. A staple applying device in accordance with claim 4, including aretractor arm hinged at an end thereof to said latchl strip, a staplepusher slideably disposed 2,624,046 Nyberg Ian. 6, 1953

